Game review: Overwatch is an exciting shooting game with a diverse team of warriors

Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment) PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Three stars The e-sports boom, with millions of fans watching the world’s finest video gamers compete, has taken many longtime industry observers (including me) by surprise. And it has developers scrambling to create the next big e-sports phenomenon. Blizzard Entertainment is an e-sports powerhouse, with the strategy […]

Overwatch

(Blizzard Entertainment)

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Three stars

The e-sports boom, with millions of fans watching the world’s finest video gamers compete, has taken many longtime industry observers (including me) by surprise. And it has developers scrambling to create the next big e-sports phenomenon.

Blizzard Entertainment is an e-sports powerhouse, with the strategy game StarCraft, the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) Heroes of the Storm and even the card game Hearthstone.

Blizzard’s new Overwatch is its entry into the crowded first-person shooter genre, and it’s already making waves.

There’s some backstory to Overwatch, but you’re free to ignore it. All you need to know is that there are two heavily armed six-person teams, and they’re mad at each other. You may be fighting to control certain points on a map, or escorting a payload from one end of a region to another.

The missions aren’t as varied as some other popular online shooters such as Call of Duty, but the simplicity makes Overwatch a bit more welcoming to newcomers.

What makes Overwatch stand out is the diversity of its warriors. Some are good at dealing out damage but not at taking it; others are the exact opposite. You can barrel your way into the firefight as the tank-like Roadhog, or hang back and heal your teammates as the angelic Mercy. The cast includes men, women, robots and a talking gorilla, each with a lively personality to match his or her distinctive talents.

Overwatch is hardly original; if you enjoy the kill-or-be-killed mayhem of online, team-based shooters such as Halo, you’ll be right at home. But it looks and feels fresh, thanks to its colourful characters, smartly designed battlegrounds and tightly focused action.

The shooter fanatics in my friends list are going nuts over it, and it seems likely to make a big impact in the e-sports arena.